Integral lift wing for a disk drive actuator

ABSTRACT

A linear actuator for carrying a pair of read/write heads into engagement with a surface of a recording medium includes a carriage assembly. The carriage assembly may have a load beam upon which the read/write heads are mounted. A lift wing that is integrally formed with the actuator preferable extends transverse to a longitudinal axis of the actuator. Preferably, the lift wing extends from the sides of the actuator and not the end of the actuator where the read/write heads are preferably mounted. The integral lift wing may have a first portion that extends from one side of the actuator, and a second portion that extends from the other side of the actuator. Preferably, the lift wing does not have a portion which extends beneath or over the width of the load beam portion of the actuator. This lift wing preferably interfaces with a load ramp of the disk drive to position the read/write heads proximal to the surface of the recording medium.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is related to the following patent applications,all of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety:

Ser. No. 08/866,189, filed on May 30, 1997, entitled "Improved OperatingSystem For Operating an Eject System and a Head Retraction System of aDisk Drive"

Ser. No. 08/881,804, filed on May 30, 1997, entitled "Media Capture toPrevent Head Damage in a Removable Cartridge Disk Drive"

Ser. No. 08/866,225, filed on May 30, 1997, entitled "Head RetractionSystem for Retracting The Heads of a Disk Drive"

Ser. No. 08/881,803, filed on May 30, 1997, entitled "Steering MagnetsTo Reduce Magnetic Leakage Flux in a Disk Drive"

Ser. No. 08/881,805, filed on May 30, 1997, entitled "Laminated SteelReturn Path With Actuator Support Features" now U.S. Pat. No 5,943,194

Ser. No. 08/866,190, filed on May 30, 1997, entitled "Dual LoopFlex-Circuit For a Linear Actuator",now U.S. Pat. No. 5,963,399

Ser. No. 08/872,712 filed on May 30, 1997, entitled InterlockingCarriage Assembly for Linear Actuator

Ser. No. 08/881,806, filed on May 30, 1997, entitled "Head GimbalProtection For a Disk Drive"

Ser. No. 08/866,168, filed on May 30, 1997, entitled "Flexured MountingSystem for Friction Reduction And Friction Linearization in LinearActuator for Disk Drive", now U.S. Pat No. 5,920,445

Ser. No. 08/881,807, filed on May 30, 1997, entitled "Return PathGeometry to Enhance Uniformity of Force on a Linear Actuator", Now U.S.Pat. No. 5,905,607

Ser. No. 08/866,180, filed on May 30, 1997, entitled "In-Rigger of aCarriage Assembly that Prevents Rotation of the Carriage Assembly" nowU.S. Pat. No. 5,969,908

Ser. No. 08/866,227, filed on May 30, 1997, entitled "Disk DriveBarriers That Restrain Movement of the Drive Actuator", now U.S. Pat.No. 5,926,346

Ser. No. 08/866,167, filed on May 30, 1997, entitled "Self-PositioningLever for Opening the Shutter of a Removable Disk Cartridge", now U.S.Pat. No. 5,930,074

Ser. No. 08/866,177, filed on May 30, 1997, entitled "AA Disk Drive witha Rotatably Mounted Disk Drive Motor"

Ser. No. 08/866,226, filed on May 30, 1997, entitled "Eject System forEjecting a Disk Cartridge from a Disk Drive"

Ser. No. 08/881,808, filed on May 30, 1997, entitled "Cover for a DiskDrive Assembly", now U.S. Pat. No. 5,936,798

BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to computer storage devices, such as diskdrives, and, more particularly, to apparatus for loading and unloadingthe read/write heads of a disk drive onto, and off of, a rotatingstorage medium, and for protecting the read/writes heads from damage dueto shock and, in the case of removable cartridge disk drives, fromdamage that might result during media insertion.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Disk drives for storing electronic information are found in a widevariety of computer systems, including workstations, personal computers,and laptop and notebook computers. Such disk drives can be stand-aloneunits that are connected to a computer system by cable, or they can beinternal units that occupy a slot, or bay, in the computer system.Laptop and notebook computers have relatively small bays in which tomount internal disk drives and other peripheral devices, as compared tothe much larger bays available in most workstation and personal computerhousings. The relatively small size of peripheral bays found in laptopand notebook computers, can place significant constraints on thedesigner of internal disk drives for use in such computers. Techniquesthat address and overcome the problems associated with these sizeconstraints are therefore important.

Disk drives of the type that accept removable disk cartridges havebecome increasingly popular. One disk drive product that has been verysuccessful is the ZIP™ drive designed and manufactured by IomegaCorporation, the assignee of the present invention. ZIP™ drives acceptremovable disk cartridges that contain a flexible magnetic storagemedium upon which information can be written and read. The disk-shapedstorage medium is mounted on a hub that rotates freely within thecartridge. A spindle motor within the ZIP™ drive engages the cartridgehub when the cartridge is inserted into the drive, in order to rotatethe storage medium at relatively high speeds. A shutter on the frontedge of the cartridge is moved to the side during insertion into thedrive, thereby exposing an opening through which the read/write heads ofthe drive move to access the recording surfaces of the rotating storagemedium. The shutter covers the head access opening when the cartridge isoutside of the drive, to prevent dust and other contaminants fromentering the cartridge and settling on the recording surfaces of thestorage medium.

The ZIP™ drive is presently available for workstations and personalcomputers in both stand-alone and internal configurations. In order toprovide a version of the ZIP™ drive for use in laptop and notebookcomputers, the size constraints of the peripheral bays of such computersmust be considered. In particular, for an internal drive to fit in themajority of laptop and notebook peripheral bays, the drive must be nolonger than 135 mm. The height of the drive must be in the range of 12to 15 mm. These dimensions place many constraints on the design of sucha drive, and give rise to numerous design problems. Various aspects andfeatures of the present invention address and overcome several of theseproblems.

In particular, the ZIP™ drive employs a pair of opposing read/writeheads for recording and reproducing information on both sides of thestorage medium within a ZIP™ disk. The opposing read/write heads aredisposed on flexible load beams at the distal ends of respectiveactuator arms, that allow the heads to fly closely over the respectivesurfaces of the rotating disk. In presently available internal andexternal versions of the ZIP™ drive, loading/unloading ramps areemployed to spread the read/write heads apart as the head actuator ismoved to a retracted position, in which the heads are moved back awayfrom the edge of the storage medium. This process is described, forexample, in commonly assigned, co-pending patent application Ser. No.08/324,895, filed Oct. 18, 1994, entitled "Head Load/Unload and Cleaningin a Data Storage Device". As disclosed therein, wings attached to theload beams of the actuator ride on opposed ramps fixedly disposed in thedrive, as the carriage of the linear actuator moves toward and away fromthe disk. As the heads move toward the disk, the wings ride down theopposed ramps, bringing the heads together onto the disk in a controlledmanner. As the linear actuator is withdrawn away from the disk, thewings ride up the opposed ramps to again separate the heads. In thisretracted position, disk cartridges can be inserted and removed from thedisk drive without harming the read/write heads, since they areretracted backwardly a sufficient distance from the edge of the diskcartridge media U.S. Pat. No. 4,663,683 (McNeil) discloses anotherstructure in which wings attached to load beam members ride upon rampedsurfaces, or cams, to move the read/write heads of a disk drive onto,and off of, a rotating storage medium. In the actuator disclosed in U.S.Pat. No. 4,663,683, as well as in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No.5,530,607, the wings are separate components that must be assembled, orattached, to the load beams during disk drive manufacture.

Because a version of the ZIP™ drive to be used in laptop and notebookcomputers is preferably only 135 mm in length, and because the size ofthe ZIP™ cartridge is already established, there will not be enough roomin such a drive to be able to retract the heads completely away from thestorage medium. As a result, there is a need for a means of protectingthe heads during insertion and withdrawal of a disk cartridge.Additionally, vertical size constraints increase the potential for theread/write heads to be damaged when the disk drive undergoes a shock orextreme vibration, as can occur during the handling of a laptop ornotebook computer. Various novel and inventive aspects of the presentinvention address these problems. Also, due to the size constraints andthe relative complexity of disk drive devices, there is a need tosimplify assembly processes and to reduce the number of parts of diskdrives. Other aspects of the present invention satisfy this need.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to apparatus for loading and unloadingthe read/write heads of a disk drive onto, and off of, a rotatingstorage medium, and for protecting the read/writes heads from damage dueto shock and, in the case of removable cartridge disk drives, fromdamage that might result during media insertion.

According to one aspect of the present invention, an actuator forcarrying the read/write head(s) of the disk drive into engagement with astorage medium comprises a carriage assembly that has a load beam uponwhich the read/write head is mounted, a wing extending from the loadbeam and being formed integrally therewith, and a ramped surface onwhich the wing rides to position the read/write head on the surface ofthe storage medium. By forming the wing integrally with the load beam,the number of parts of the drive is reduced, resulting in a costreduction. Additionally, the disk drive assembly process is simplified,as the step of attaching a separate wing to each load beam, as is donein the prior art, is eliminated.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a pair of opposedprojections are disposed adjacent the read/write head(s) of a diskdrive, when the heads are in a retracted position. The opposedprojections have opposed angled surfaces that deflect and capture theedge of the storage medium within a disk cartridge, during insertion ofthe cartridge into the drive, to prevent the edge of the storage mediumfrom damaging the read/write heads. In the preferred embodiment, theopposed projections are formed as part of a load ramp member thatincludes ramped surfaces along which the integral wings of the loadbeams of the actuator ride. In one embodiment, the load ramp member hasa pair of opposed snaps extending from the side of the member oppositethe opposed projections. A core of the load ramp member is hollowed toform a flexible hinge, whereby pressure exerted on the opposedprojections causes the pair of opposed snaps to spread apart tofacilitate attachment and detachment of the load ramp member to and fromother structure within the disk drive.

According to yet another aspect of the present invention, a pair ofbarriers are disposed on opposite sides of the load beam(s) of the diskdrive actuator to constrain lateral movement of the load beam(s) toprevent damage to the read/write head(s) when the disk drive undergoesshock in the lateral direction. In a preferred embodiment, each barrieris disposed adjacent a respective one of the ends of the wing(s) on theload beam(s) of the actuator, and operate to constrain lateral movementof the wings. Also in the preferred embodiment, the barriers are formedas part of the load ramp member mentioned above, and in particular, maybe formed as part of the opposed projections that deflect and capturethe storage medium.

According to still another aspect of the present invention, a carriageassembly of the disk drive actuator comprises a load beam having a tabextending distally from its distal end, a gimbal having a proximal endconnected to the distal end of the load beam, and having a flexure uponwhich a read/write head is attached, and a restraining member at thedistal end of the gimbal through which the tab of the load beam extends.The restraining member contacts the tab when the carriage assemblyundergoes shock along a vertical axis, to prevent excessive movement ofthe gimbal in that direction.

These and other features and advantages of the present invention willbecome evident hereinafter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed description ofthe preferred embodiments, is better understood when read in conjunctionwith the appended drawings. For the purpose of illustrating theinvention, there is shown in the drawings embodiments that are presentlypreferred, it being understood, however, that the invention is notlimited to the specific methods and instrumentalities disclosed. In thedrawings:

FIG. 1 shows an exemplary disk drive in which the features of thepresent invention may be employed;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the disk drive ofFIG. 1, showing a load ramp member in accordance with the presentinvention.

FIGS. 3A and 3B show front and rear perspective views, respectively, ofthe load ramp member of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4A is a pictorial representation of the problem that arises whenthe edge of a storage medium is offset vertically during disk cartridgeinsertion;

FIG. 4B is a side view of the load ramp member of FIG. 2, illustratingthe media capture feature of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a top view of the actuator carriage assembly and load rampmember;

FIG. 6 is an exploded assembly view of a head gimbal assembly inaccordance with a preferred embodiment of another aspect of the presentinvention;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the head gimbal assembly of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a load ramp memberin accordance with the present invention; and

FIG. 9 is a side view of the load ramp member of FIG. 8, illustratingits attachment to an outer return path structure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to the drawings wherein like numerals indicate like elementsthroughout, there is shown in FIG. 1 an exemplary disk drive 10 in whichthe present invention may be employed. The disk drive 10 comprises achassis 14 having u-shaped outer edges that form opposed guide rails12a, 12b that guide a removable disk cartridge (not shown) into the diskdrive through opening 22. In the present embodiment, the chassis ismetallic. A thin metal top cover (not shown) of the disk drive 10 hasbeen removed so that the internal components of the drive are visible.

A cartridge shutter lever 28 and an eject lever 30 are rotatably mountedon the chassis. Both levers 28 and 30 are shown in FIG. 1 in thepositions that they occupy when a disk cartridge is fully inserted intothe drive. During cartridge insertion, the shutter lever swings from aforward position to the position shown in FIG. 1. During this movement,an abutment surface on the shutter lever 28 engages a shutter of thedisk cartridge and moves the shutter to the side, exposing a head accessopening in the front peripheral edge of the cartridge. The eject leveralso moves from a forward position to the position shown in FIG. 1, whenthe cartridge is inserted. In the position shown in FIG. 1, the ejectlever is in a cocked position, under spring tension. When it is desiredto eject the disk cartridge from the drive 10, an eject button 24 ispushed. Among other things, this causes the eject lever 30 to bereleased from its cocked position, so that it springs forward to forcethe disk cartridge backwardly out of the disk drive.

The disk drive 10 also has a linear actuator 16 disposed at the rear ofthe chassis 14. The linear actuator 16 comprises a voice coil motorincluding a coil 31 mounted on a carriage assembly 32, an outer magnetreturn path assembly 34, and two inner return path members 36a, 36b onopposite sides of the carriage assembly 32. After a disk cartridge isinserted into the disk drive 10, the carriage assembly 32 carries a pairof read/write heads 38 over the recording surfaces of a disk-shapedstorage medium within the cartridge. A spindle motor 20 is provided onthe floor of the chassis 14. During cartridge insertion, the spindlemotor 20 is translated vertically into engagement with a hub of the diskcartridge, in order to rotate the disk-shaped storage medium at arelatively high speed. A circuit board 26 is attached to the chassis 14via a plurality of standoffs (not shown). The circuit board 26 carriesthe drive circuitry. A gear train mechanism 18 controls movement of theeject lever 30 and movement of a head retract mechanism (not shown) thatmoves the carriage assembly 32 to a parked position to prevent damage tothe read/write heads 38, when the disk drive is not in use.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the disk drive 10 of FIG. 1 showing aportion of the outer return path assembly 34 through which upper andlower load beams 46a, 46b of the carriage assembly 32 extend. A loadramp member 40 is attached to the outer return path assembly 34, whichis preferred, although the load ramp member 40 may be attached to anyother suitable structure within the disk drive 10. Preferably, the loadramp member 40 is formed of a thermoplastic material. In the preferredembodiment, the load ramp member is formed of polycarbonate loaded witha small percentage of PTFE (as a lubricant). However, any suitablematerial may be employed. Referring to FIGS. 2, 3, and 4B, the load rampmember is attached to the outer return path assembly 34 by a series ofsnaps 58a, 58b, 60a, and 60b. Further details of the structure of theouter magnet return path assembly 34 and inner magnet return pathmembers 36a, 36b can be found in commonly assigned, application Ser. No.08/881,805, entitled "Laminated Steel Return Path with Actuator SupportFeatures" (Attorney Docket: IOM-9508), which is hereby incorporated byreference in its entirety.

The load ramp member 40 has a first pair of opposed ramp surfaces 52a,54a located on one side of the load beams, and a second pair of opposedramp surfaces 52b, 54b located on the other side of the load beams 46a,46b. A wing 48 is attached to the upper load beam 46a, which rides overthe ramped surfaces 52a and 52b. A similar wing 50 is attached to thelower load beam 46b, which rides over the ramped surfaces 54a and 54b.After a disk cartridge has been inserted into the disk drive 10, thecarriage assembly of the disk drive moves forward toward the diskcartridge. As the carriage assembly moves forward, the wings 48, 50 onthe load beams 46a, 46b ride down the respective ramp surfaces 52a,b and54a,b to bring the respective read/write heads 38a, 38b into engagementwith the respective surfaces of the storage medium within the diskcartridge. When the cartridge is to be ejected, the carriage assembly 32moves rearwardly to a retracted position. As the carriage assembly 32moves rearwardly, the wings 48, 50 ride back up the ramp surfaces 52a,band 54a,b to lift the respective heads 38a, 38b off the surfaces of thestorage medium.

Integral Lift Wings

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, the wings 48, 50are formed integrally with their respective load beams 46a, 46b. In thepreferred embodiment, the load beams 46a, 46b and their respective wings48, 50 are formed of metal. The surfaces of the lift wings 48, 50 thatcontact the respective ramped surfaces 52a, 52b and 54a, 54b arerounded. Preferably, the load beams 46a, 46b with their integral liftwings 48, 50 are formed of stainless steel, and are formed by firstetching a blank of the load beam and integral wing from a thin sheet ofstainless steel, and then stamping them in a conventional manner toachieve the desired shaping illustrated in the Figures. Etching astainless steel sheet to form the load beams is preferably, astolerances can be more tightly controlled. Alternatively, the load beamscan be formed solely by a stamping process, although this is lesspreferable. By forming the wings integrally with the load beams, thenumber of parts is reduced, resulting in a cost reduction. Additionally,the disk drive assembly process is simplified, as the step of attachinga separate wing to each load beam is eliminated.

Disk Cartridge Media Capture

Because the disk drive 10 must have a length no greater than 135 mm inorder to fit within most laptop and notebook computer peripheral drivebays, there is not sufficient space to retract the read/write heads farenough to clear the edge of the storage medium within the diskcartridge. Thus, in their parked position, the heads will be locatedover a portion of the edge of the storage medium. Because the verticalposition of the media may vary during disk insertion, due to a number ofconsiderations, it is possible that, without some form of protection,the edge of the media might ride up over one of the read/write heads,possibly causing damage to the fine wire (sometimes referred to as aservice loop) that runs from the head to the drive electronics along theedge of the load beam. This problem is illustrated pictorially in FIG.4A. As shown, the disk-shaped storage medium 59, which is attached to ahub 62 within a disk cartridge (not shown), may be vertically out ofposition during insertion of the cartridge such that it rides up overone of the read/write heads, potentially causing damage to the serviceloop of that head.

According to a preferred embodiment of one aspect of the presentinvention, the load ramp member 40 has a pair of opposed projections42a, 44a and 42b, 44b disposed on opposite sides of the respectiveopposed ramp surfaces 52a, 54a and 52b, 54b. Referring to FIG. 4B, theseprojections 42a,b and 44a,b shield the read/write heads 38a, 38b of thedisk drive 10 from the edge of the media 59 during disk cartridgeinsertion, by providing opposed angled surfaces 43, 45 that deflect theedge of said disk-shaped storage medium 59 during insertion and capturethe edge of the storage medium between them, thus preventing the edge ofthe medium 59 from contacting the heads. In the preferred embodiment,the dimensions A and B of FIG. 4B are approximately 0.9 mm and 3.0 mm,respectively, although in other embodiments, these dimensions may bedifferent. While in the preferred embodiment the projections 42a, 44a,42b, and 44b, are formed as part of the load ramp member 40, they canalso be formed separately, or with other structure within the diskdrive.

Wing Barrier Preventing Lateral Movement

Because laptop and notebook computers are often subjected to shock, forexample, when they are accidentally dropped or jolted, there is a chancethat the read/write head carriage assembly may move laterally andvertically within the drive. Excessive movement of the carriage assembly32 can cause damage to the read/write heads 38a, 38b. For example,excessive lateral movement of the load beams 46a, 46b could cause theread/write heads 38a, 38b to contact the sides of the ramp surfaces ofthe load ramp member 40, potentially causing severe damage.

Referring to FIG. 5, according to a preferred embodiment of anotheraspect of the present invention, barriers 56a and 56b are placedopposite the respective ends of the wings 48, 50 of the load beams 46a,46b, to prevent excessive lateral displacement of the beams. In thepresent embodiment, the barriers 56a and 56b are formed as part of theprojections 42a, 44a and 42b, 44b. In FIG. 5, it can be seen that thebarriers 56a and 56b will prevent excessive lateral displacement of thewings 48, 50, preventing the heads 38a and 38b from contacting anystructure of the load ramp member 40.

The barriers 56a and 56b must be far enough apart to provide someclearance for the wings 48, 50, so that contact between them duringnormal operation of the carriage assembly 32 is avoided, but they mustbe close enough together to prevent the ends of the wings 48, 50 fromsliding off their respective ramp surface 52a, 52b, 54a, 54b. In thepresent embodiment, the span of each wing 48, 50 is approximately 6.6mm, and the distance between the barriers 56a and 56b is approximately7.19 mm. The ramp surfaces 52a and 52b (as well as lower ramp surfaces54a and 54b) have a span of approximately 4.4 mm between them. The widthof each ramp surface 52a, 52b, 54a, 54b is approximately 1.4 mm.

Gimbal Anti-Shock Feature

FIG. 6 is an exploded view of a portion of the carriage assembly 32. Inparticular, the upper load beam 46a, upper gimbal 64a, and upperread/write head 38a are shown. The gimbal 64a is preferably formed ofstainless steel, and can be formed using the same etching and stampingprocess described above for the load beams 46a, 46b and integral wings48, 50. Additional details of the structure of the carriage assembly 32can be found in commonly assigned, application Ser. No. 08/866,171,filed May 30, 1997, entitled "Flexured Mounting System for FrictionReduction and Friction Linearization in Linear Actuator for Disk Drive"(Attorney Docket: IOM-9514), which is hereby incorporated by referencein its entirety.

A proximal end (not shown) of the gimbal 64a is attached to the loadbeam 46a in a conventional manner. The opposite end 65 of the gimbal isnot attached to the load beam 46a, and thus is free to move as thegimbal 64a bends under force. The read/write head 38a is attached to aflexure 72 of the gimbal 64a, also in a conventional manner. FIG. 7shows the completed assembly. Because the end 65 of the gimbal 64a isfree to move, excessive shock on the carriage assembly 32 along thevertical axis can cause the gimbal 64a and head 38a to bend downwardly(in the direction of arrow 69). Excessive bending of the gimbal 64a inthis direction can cause plastic deformation in the gimbal 64a,resulting in permanent damage.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of an additional aspect of thepresent invention, the load beam 46a has a tab 66 extending distallyfrom its distal end, and the gimbal 64a has a restraining member 68 atits distal end. The restraining member 68 has a window 70 through whichthe tab 66 of the load beam 46a extends. Thus, the restraining member 68captures the tab 66 through window 70. As can be appreciated from FIGS.6 and 7, the restraining member 68 will contact the tab 66 of the morerigid load beam 46a when the carriage assembly 32 undergoes shock alongits vertical axis, thus preventing excessive vertical movement of thegimbal. This prevents plastic deformation of the gimbal under extremeshock.

In the present embodiment, the restraining member is formed integrallywith the gimbal, and is bent up from the plane of the gimbal.Additionally, the restraining member is generally rectangular in thepreferred embodiment. It is understood, however, that the restrainingmember may have other shapes, such as oval or circular (not shown).Additionally, in other embodiments, the restraining member may be aseparate piece that is mounted to the distal end of the gimbal, asopposed to the integral structure disclosed herein.

Alternate Load Ramp Member Attachment

FIG. 8 shows an alternate embodiment of a load ramp member 40', inaccordance with yet another aspect of the present invention. In thisembodiment, the load ramp member 40' has two pairs of opposed snaps58a', 60a' and 58b', 60b' extending from the side of the member 40'opposite the protrusions 42a, 44a and 42b, 44b. In this embodiment, eachpair of opposed snaps 58a', 60a' and 58b', 60b' of the load ramp member40' is snap fit to a respective beam 76, 78 formed in an opening 79 inthe outer return path assembly 34'.

Referring to FIGS. 8 and 9, the load ramp member 40' has a hollow core81 between each pair of opposed snaps 58a', 60a' and 58b',60b', andsimilarly has a hollow portion 83 between each pair of opposedprotrusions 42a, 44a and 42b, 44b. The body of the load ramp member 40'and its hollow core 81 form upper and lower hinges 84a and 84b, theoutlines of which are shown in heavy lines. When pressure is applied tothe opposed protrusions 42a, 44a in the direction of arrows 80, thehinges 84a and 84b flex, causing the opposed snaps 58a', 60a' to spreadapart in the direction of double arrow 85. This ability of the load rampmember 40' can be used to facilitate both attachment and removal of theload ramp member from the beams 76, 78 of the outer magnetic return path34'. Force can be applied to the opposed protrusions 42a, 44a and 42b,44b (in the direction of arrows 80) by a user's fingers or by a suitablefixture or tool.

Referring to FIG. 9, in order to facilitate attachment of the load rampmember 40' to the beams 76, 78 of the outer magnetic return path 34',angled surfaces 86a and 86b are provided on the inner edges of the upperand lower snaps 58a' and 60a' (as well as on snaps 58b' and 60b' notshown in this Figure). As the load ramp member 40' is pushed onto thebeams 76, 78 during assembly, the angled surfaces 86a and 86b (on bothpairs of opposed snaps 58a', 60a' and 58b', 60b') will engage therespective corners of the beams 76, 78. Referring in particular to thesnaps 58a', 60a' and beam 76 shown in FIG. 9, engagement of angledsurfaces 86a, 86b with the comers of the beam 76, and continued force onthe load ramp member 40' toward the outer magnet return path 34', willforce the hinges 84a and 84b to flex apart until the inner most tips87a, 87b of the opposed snaps 58a', 60a' clear the comers of the beam76. The load ramp member 40' is then pushed further onto the respectivebeams 76, 78 until the tips 87a, 87b snap around the respective farcorners of the beams, as shown in FIG. 9. In accordance with this aspectof the present invention, the load ramp member 40' can be easilyremoved, or detached, from the beams 76, 78 by applying pressure to theopposed protrusions 42a, 44a and 42b, 44b in the direction of arrows 80,causing the snaps 58a', 60a' and 58b', 60b' to spread apart far enoughthat the tips (e.g., tips 87a and 87b) of the snaps clear the upper andlower edges of the respective beams 76 and 78.

As the foregoing illustrates, the present invention is directed toapparatus for loading and unloading the read/write head(s) of a diskdrive to and from a storage medium and for protecting the read/writesheads from damage due to shock and, in the case of removable cartridgedisk drives, from damage that might result during media insertion. Otheraspects of the present invention are directed to techniques for partreduction and for simplifying manufacturing. It is understood thatchanges may be made to the embodiments described above without departingfrom the broad inventive concepts thereof. For example, while there aretwo pairs of opposed protrusions 42a, 44a and 42b, 44b, located atopposite ends of the load ramp member, in other embodiments there may bemore or less numbers of opposed protrusions. Additionally, the variousaspects of the present invention described herein may be employed indisk drives that include rotary read/write head actuators, as opposed tothe linear actuator shown in the Figures. Also, the present invention isby no means limited to the particular shapes of the structures disclosedherein Furthermore, while the load ramp member 40 of the presentinvention is shown, by way of example, as being attachable to an outermagnetic return path assembly of a disk drive, the load ramp member canbe attached to any suitable structure with in the disk drive. Forexample, a special fixture for mounting the load ramp member could beformed within the disk drive. Accordingly, the present invention is notlimited to the particular embodiments disclosed, but is intended tocover all modifications that are within the spirit and scope of theinvention as defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A linear actuator for carrying a read/write headinto engagement with a surface of a recording medium comprising:a loadbeam that is coupled to the read/write head at an end of the load beam,the load beam comprising a first section, the first section beingdisposed proximate to the end; a wing being integrally formed with theload beam and having a first portion that extends outward from a firstside of the first section of the load beam and that does not extendinward transversely across the first section of the load beam and asecond portion that extends outward from a second side of the firstsection of the load beam and that does not extend inward transverselyacross the first section of the load beam.
 2. The actuator of claim 1,further comprising a gimbal mounted to the load beam.
 3. The actuator ofclaim 2, wherein the read/write head is mounted to the gimbal.
 4. Theactuator of claim 2, wherein the gimbal is mounted to the load beam at afirst end of the gimbal.
 5. The actuator of claim 4, wherein a secondend of the gimbal is free to move about the mounted first end of thegimbal.
 6. The actuator of claim 5, wherein the second end of the gimbalcomprises a restraining member.
 7. The actuator of claim 6, wherein theend of the load beam comprises a tab for insertion into the restrainingmember and thereby restraining movement of the second end of the gimbal.8. The actuator of claim 1, further comprising a carriage assemblycoupled to the load beam for movement of the actuator.
 9. The actuatorof claim 8, further comprising a voice coil motor coupled to thecarriage assembly.
 10. A linear actuator for carrying a read/write headinto engagement with a surface of a recording medium comprising:a loadbeam comprising a longitudinal axis, a first section that is disposedproximate to an end of the load beam, an integral lift wing integrallyformed with the load beam, comprising:(i) a first portion that extendsoutward from a first side of the first section of the load beam andtransverse to the longitudinal axis of the load beam, but not inwardtransversely across the first section, (ii) a second portion thatextends outward from a second side of the first section of the load beamand transverse to the longitudinal axis of the load beam, but not inwardtransversely across the first section, (iii) the wing not extendingacross a width of the load beam; and a gimbal, mounted proximate to theend of the load beam, upon which the read/write head is mounted.
 11. Theactuator of claim 10, wherein the gimbal is mounted to the load beam ata first end of the gimbal.
 12. The actuator of claim 11, wherein asecond end of the gimbal is free to move about the mounted first end ofthe gimbal.
 13. The actuator of claim 12, wherein the second end of thegimbal comprises a restraining member.
 14. The actuator of claim 13,wherein the end of the load beam comprises a tab for insertion into therestraining member and thereby restraining movement of the second end ofthe gimbal.
 15. The actuator of claim 10, further comprising a carriageassembly coupled to the load beam for movement of the actuator.
 16. Theactuator of claim 15, further comprising a voice coil motor coupled tothe carriage assembly.
 17. A disk drive for receiving a disk cartridge,comprising:(a) a linear actuator, having a first section and an end thefirst section being coupled to the end, comprising:(i) a load beamhaving an integrally formed wing that has a first portion that extendsoutward from a first side of the first section, but not inward acrossthe first section and a second portion that extends outward from asecond side of the first section, but not inward across the firstsection; (ii) a gimbal coupled to the load beam; (iii) a read/write headcoupled to the gimbal for interfacing with the disk cartridge; (iv) acarriage assembly coupled to the load beam upon which the actuatormoves; (b) an outer return path assembly for providing a force formoving the actuator; and (c) a load ramp member, coupled to the outerreturn path assembly, for slidably engaging the wing of the actuator asthe actuator moves to engage the disk cartridge.
 18. The disk drive ofclaim 17, wherein the gimbal further comprises a first end that isaffixed to the load beam.
 19. The disk drive of claim 18, wherein thegimbal further comprises a second end that is free to move about thefirst end.
 20. The disk drive of claim 19, wherein the second end of thegimbal comprises a restraining member.